Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 105

The new Prince and Princess of Wales

With The Queen’s passing, many changes are happening. Upon her death on 8 September 2022, Prince Charles automatically accended the throne as King. As the eldest son and heir apparent of the reigning British monarch, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge automatically gained the title Duke of Cornwall. Catherine, as his wife, became the Duchess of Cornwall. In Scotland, the couple will be known as The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

From 8 to 9 September 2022, they were known as The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. This follows the precedent of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, who were known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York from the accession of George’s father, King Edward VII, until George was created Prince of Wales on 9 November 1901.1

On 9 September 2022, King Charles II announced that he had created Prince William Prince of Wales earlier that day. This makes Catherine the new Princess of Wales.

Both the Cambridge and Cornwall titles will also remain his. The only way for Prince George to succeed his father as Duke of Cambridge would be if William died before becoming King. If William becomes King, the Cambridge title will merge with the Crown. However, the Cornwall title is reserved for the eldest son and heir apparent of the reigning British monarch, so when William is King, George will be Duke of Cornwall.

 

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The new Duke and Duchess of Cornwall

With The Queen’s passing, many changes are happening. Upon her death, Prince Charles automatically ascended the throne as King. As the eldest son and heir apparent of the reigning British monarch, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge automatically gained the title Duke of Cornwall. Catherine, as his wife, became the Duchess of Cornwall. In Scotland, the couple will be known as The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.

As they are also the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they will be known as The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. This follows the precedent of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, who were known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York from the accession of George’s father, King Edward VII, until George was created Prince of Wales on 9 November 1901.1

Once Charles makes Prince William Prince of Wales, that title will take precedence, and the couple will be known as The Prince and Princess of Wales. Both the Cambridge and Cornwall titles will also remain his. The only way for Prince George to succeed his father as Duke of Cambridge would be if William died before becoming King. If William becomes King, the Cambridge title will merge with the Crown. However, the Cornwall title is reserved for the eldest son and heir apparent of the reigning British monarch, so when William is King, George will be Duke of Cornwall.

 

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The King’s statement upon The Queen’s death

The new King has released a statement following The Queen’s death.

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.  I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

Her Majesty The Queen died in the afternoon of 8 September 2022.

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Her Majesty The Queen has died at the age of 96

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom has died.

Her Majesty passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle on 8 September 2022. Several members of her family, including her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, were by her side. He now succeeds his mother as King.

Earlier this afternoon, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that Her Majesty’s medical team had expressed “concerns for her health.”

The cause of her death has not been confirmed yet.

She reigned for 70 years and was the longest-ruling British monarch.

 

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part four)

Read part three here.

Elisabeth and Leopold lived together as he was making a career for himself in politics. Of her children, only her daughter was still living with her. She bought the so-called Windisch-Graetz Villa on the outskirts of Vienna in 1929. However, peace would be hard to find. By 1932, national socialism was on the rise, and political opponents had taken to calling Elisabeth “the Red Archduchess.” Under the Dollfuss administration, Leopold and many of his comrades were arrested, which triggered protests among the workers. Leopold was badly affected by his imprisonment as he suffered from chronic bladder issues. In July 1934, he was sentenced to two months imprisonment for offences against public order. As he had already served this sentence, he was released. Elisabeth had visited him in prison every single week.

Elisabeth was spending plenty of money on the causes she thought worthy, and her children were receiving “only” 1,600 shillings weekly. This led to quite some resentment, especially from her eldest son, who felt like she was squandering his inheritance. He even went as far as to try and have Elisabeth declared incapacitated with the help of Prince Otto. It is not clear if Elisabeth ever knew of this action, but the request was eventually withdrawn. Leopold and Elisabeth remained on the government’s radar, and Elisabeth’s passport was confiscated to prevent her from leaving. This did not stop her from helping fellow party members.

In 1938, Austria was annexed into the German Reich. Elisabeth was not in the crowd to welcome Hitler and instead sat at home with a heavy heart. The Nazi terror went around Austria, but for now, Elisabeth and Leopold were forgotten. The following year, Elisabeth suffered a tragedy. On 9 June 1939, her third son Rudolf died in a motorcycle accident. He had loved motorcycles since childhood. Elisabeth and Leopold tried to avoid any active political activity during the war as they were under continuous police surveillance. Elisabeth was rather poorly and suffered from severe arthrosis. As they had plenty of money, they were the lucky ones. That luck came to an end in August 1944 when Leopold was once again arrested. He was subjected to interrogations by the Gestapo while Elisabeth tried desperately to get him released. After four weeks, Leopold was sent to Dachau concentration camp.

In 1945, Vienna lay in ruins as it was liberated. Leopold’s son turned up to take the 63-year-old Elisabeth away from the city to Mödling, but after packing a few suitcases, she refused to go. When the Russians arrived at the villa, Elisabeth reportedly pointed to her chest and shouted, “Shoot, shoot, shoot!” Luckily, they did not follow her orders, but they did take up part of her villa and ordered her out.1 Now homeless, Elisabeth sought shelter in a convent. One of the sisters recalled Elisabeth’s arrival, “When the Russians came, the Princess Windisch-Graetz came and asked to be admitted. She had nothing with her but what she had on her body and her dogs.”2

Leopold was eventually freed by the Americans from a death march, but we know very little of his time in Dachau. He returned home on 3 June 1945, and he and Elisabeth were reunited at the convent where she was staying. The villa was eventually returned to them, though it had been thoroughly ransacked. For several years, they lived in another house as French troops took over the villa. Then, on 23 August 1945, news reached Elisabeth that her mother Stéphanie had died in Hungary.

Slowly, life returned to normal for Elisabeth and Leopold. He served as President of the State Audit Office until 1947, when he went into retirement. On 4 May 1948, Elisabeth and Leopold were finally married in the registry office of Handersdorf-Weidlingau. The difference with her first wedding could not have been greater. In 1950, it seemed as though they might be able to return to their villa, but when the decision was revoked, Elisabeth set her dogs on the poor aide-de-camp who delivered the news. In 1952, another one of her children died. Ernst Weriand, who had made a name for himself as a painter, died of a heart attack on 23 December. A few days later, she received the news that her former husband, Prince Otto, had also died. The following year, Elisabeth celebrated her 70th birthday, still in her temporary housing with her bones aching.

She would spend the last few years of her life confined to a wheelchair. It wasn’t until 1955 that their home was finally returned to them. Elisabeth, once a proud gardener, immediately hired people to get the park back into shape. Everything had to be put back as it had been; Elisabeth remembered every detail. However, many valuable objects were lost. Tragically, Leopold could not enjoy his return home. He passed away on 27 July 1956 and was laid to rest in Hütteldorf Cemetery. Elisabeth had to be pushed to his graveside to say her goodbyes.

The relationship with her two surviving children remained icy. Her eldest son Franz Joseph had immigrated to Kenya and only visited occasionally. Her daughter Stéphanie lived in Belgium and also visited rarely. She had married a Swedish man called Carl Axel Björklund in 1945, whom Elisabeth did not like. Her only regular visitor was Leopold’s son, whom she loved dearly. Her main devotion during her final years was her German shepherd dogs. She brushed and groomed the dogs for as long as she was able. Then, in 1961, she lost the use of both of her legs following a stroke and began to require round-the-clock care from nurses. One of them wrote of her, “Sher had an iron strength on the outside, but a great humility on the inside.”3

In March 1963, her condition deteriorated quickly. On 16 March at 2.30 P.M., she passed away peacefully. Her children were not with her. She was buried without much ceremony on 22 March, next to Leopold. Her grave has a large white stone cross but does not carry a name.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part four) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Book Review: Elizabeth II: Princess, Queen, Icon

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This book is just one of many being released to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This book by the National Portrait Gallery includes an introduction by Alexandra Shulman, a journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue. It highlights the most interesting portraits of The Queen that are held in their collection. The collection of the National Portrait Gallery holds just under 1,000 portraits of The Queen.

With such an impressive collection, it is no wonder that the featured photos are all wonderful. However, not all images come with an introduction, which leaves a strange blank page with just the basic information about the photo. However, I was pleased to see several photos that I hadn’t seen before. I think my favourite has to be the 1929 image of Princess Elizabeth by Marcus Adams. After the three chapters, “Princess”, “Queen”, and “Icon”, the book concludes with a timeline of her life. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth II: Princess, Queen, Icon. It’s a beautiful hardcover book with a timeless image of The Queen on the front. Honestly, I would have expected nothing less from the National Portrait Gallery.

Elizabeth II: Princess, Queen, Icon is available now in the US and the UK.

The post Book Review: Elizabeth II: Princess, Queen, Icon appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part three)

Read part two here.

Prince Otto hated all the travelling that Elisabeth did, and he eventually stopped joining his family. Their marriage was now clearly in trouble, and their paths began to grow apart. Later Elisabeth would say that Otto had a venereal disease, which he passed to her. She wrote, “I fell ill as a result of my husband’s perverse disposition, confided in doctors, and as a result, I had to demand a complete cessation of all such intercourse, in order not to be manipulated by my husband into a state of nervous disruption.”1 To her husband, she wrote, “Recently, however, many things have convinced me that it is impossible for me to continue living under the same conditions. You have accused me of impairing your manhood by my coldness, but you have not considered how unworthy and humiliating it is to a woman to be treated this way. You know very well how grievously you have sinned against me in this respect.”2 He, in turn, also accused her of having affairs, most notably with a naval officer named Egon Lerch.

The following messy separation and divorce caused a great scandal. Emperor Franz Joseph attempted to mediate between the spouses. Elisabeth tried to reconcile with her husband and wrote, “It will expose both of us to sensationalism and scandal of the gossip-mongering crowd and cast a shadow over our children’s names that may never be removed.”3 Otto eventually agreed to be reconciled and an agreement was reached on 26 June 1916. Several assets were divided in this agreement, and Elisabeth agreed to pay the cost of their children’s education. Unfortunately, this so-called reconciliation was just another step towards a divorce.

Not only was Austria in the midst of the First World War during this time, but it was also the end of an era as Emperor Franz Joseph neared the end of his life. On 16 November 1916, Elisabeth was received in audience by her grandfather, but their discussion has not been made public. Just five days later, the 86-year-old monarch passed away. He left Elisabeth well taken care of in his will. As the new Emperor Charles I accended the throne, Prince Otto came to demand more of his wife. He wanted to have more influence on the education of his children, among other things. At the end of 1917, Elisabeth turned to her lawyers for help and informed her husband of her wish to divorce officially. He responded quite badly and attempted to take the children from her. The custody battle took months, and eventually, the elder two children were awarded to Elisabeth, while the younger two were awarded to Otto. The physical handover of the children during visiting times and travel was often marred by violent scenes and refusals to go.

Elisabeth had no support from her mother and angrily wrote to her, “You condemn me without having heard me, without knowing how things stand. God grant that we may understand each other.”4 It wasn’t until 26 March 1924 that the divorce was officially finalised. By then, Elisabeth had already met the man she would spend the rest of her life with. His name was Leopold Petznek, and he was a teacher and social democratic politician. There was also no longer an empire as the Austrian Empire had come to an end in 1918, and Emperor Charles had died tragically young in 1922. The new Habsburg law, which banished the Habsburgs from Austria, did not apply to Elisabeth as she had already renounced her rights before the end of the empire. She had also long said goodbye to the social circles that had surrounded the Habsburgs following the scandal of her divorce proceedings.

Elisabeth began to idolise the memory of her father, and she was vehemently against the publication of her mother’s memoirs, which disparaged her father’s memory, in her opinion. This veneration of her father only led to a further breakdown in her relationship with her mother. Stéphanie responded by attempting to have her put under curatorship and eventually disinherited her entirely. Elisabeth became interested in the social democratic movement, and she met Leopold Petznek at a voters’ meeting in Leobersdorf. Though it is unclear when exactly she joined the Social Democratic Workers’ Party, she did join and was a very active member. Her stepfather wrote, “She marches in these odious processions. […] She sells carnations in the street.”5

In an interview in 1927, Elisabeth explained, “You can get to socialism in many ways. You can be born into it, taking up membership with life itself. This path certainly seems to me to be the happiest, comparable to those who are born into freedom and do not have to struggle to attain it. Other people need a push to reach socialism. I had to go through the school of life first, I had to gain experience on the outlook of life in the circles in which I was forced to live after my marriage. Added to this was the difficult struggle for my children, which I led mainly to be able to bring them up in my way. The case has unfortunately been public for a long time. All the powers seemed to be against me when help came to me from where I had least expected: from social democracy. […] I am a woman who likes to think further.”6

To get out of the continued spotlight, Elisabeth sold her home of Schönau Palace and moved into an apartment in Vienna. She settled down with Leopold, and soon there were rumours that they were to marry. However, Leopold was not free to marry. Leopold’s wife was severely ill, and the two had not been living together for a long time, but they were still legally married. Leopold never hid his relationship with Elisabeth from his wife, but she did refuse him a divorce.

Part four coming soon.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part three) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part two)

Read part one here.

After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf, Countess Elisabeth Coudenhove was appointed as a governess for young Elisabeth. The Countess would make a big impact on Elisabeth’s life, and she would remember her fondly for the rest of her life. Elisabeth’s mother, Stéphanie, had a difficult time at court – her position had been severely weakened by her husband’s death, and she was being ridiculed at court. Stéphanie and Empress Elisabeth had never gotten along, and the Emperor treated her with kindness but reserve. Stéphanie began undertaking long journeys to get away from Vienna, but little Elisabeth wasn’t allowed to leave Austria. She remained in the care of her governess at the Hofburg, away from playmates of her own age. Her education continued, and she was said to have spoken English, French, Italian and Hungarian. She also received lessons in literature, geography, history, botany, zoology and music. She was reportedly an excellent student and also a talented painter and singer. Her grandfather kept a close eye on her education and often spoke to Countess Elisabeth Coudenhove to keep up to date.

Elisabeth was given more freedom as she grew up and was sometimes allowed to travel with her mother. Her first trip abroad was to Belgium in 1895. Later, she also followed her mother to England, France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. On 10 September 1898, Elisabeth’s grandmother Empress Elisabeth was assassinated in Geneva. At the time, young Elisabeth was 15 years old, but she had barely known her grandmother. She had received some jewellery from her grandmother following her father’s death, but one cannot speak of a real relationship. There is no record of her reaction following her grandmother’s assassination. Nevertheless, young Elisabeth received 1/5th of the Empress’s estate and the Empress’s private library. The world now lay at her feet.

On 9 January 1900, Elisabeth was allowed to attend her first court ball. She wore a white satin dress covered in diamonds. She also wore a pearl necklace and a rivière given to her by the Emperor. She made quite the impression as she had grown considerably over the last few months. It was perhaps no surprise that she caught the eye of a handsome officer by the name of Prince Otto of Windisch-Graetz. But marriage would have to wait for now – for Elisabeth anyway. Her mother, Stéphanie, had been contemplating remarriage for quite some time, and her daughter’s first court ball would be her last. Her engagement to Count Elemér Lónyay of Nagy-Lónya was announced in March, even though the Emperor’s consent had come rather reluctantly. Following the marriage, Stéphanie had to renounce all her Imperial titles and dignities, but she was given a generous allowance of 100,000 guilders. Stéphanie had avoided telling Elisabeth the news for as long as she could, and Elisabeth took the news quite badly. However, Elisabeth accompanied her mother to Miramar, where the wedding was to take place. She did not attend the wedding and left the day before with her governess to head to Gries, where she was to spend a few weeks. Then she dutifully returned to Vienna, where she spent the Easter holidays.

Elisabeth now had her own household, and she fell into the routine of the Austrian court. She played tennis, rode horses and organised garden parties – to which Prince Otto was also invited. She soon decided he would be her future husband, and she spoke to her grandfather about him. However, he refused to even discuss an official engagement before her 18th birthday. To help divert her attention, Franz Joseph sent Elisabeth away for the winter months. However, Elisabeth kept her eye on the prize and refused to give up on Prince Otto. In the end, Franz Joseph realised that he could no longer stand in their way. There is no evidence that Prince Otto had to be convinced to marry Elisabeth, nor that he was ordered to break another engagement to do so. However, Prince Otto was not of equal rank to an Austrian Archduchess, and so Elisabeth would have to renounce any claims to the throne. In the end, she was allowed to keep her personal style and title, and she was provided with a generous dowry.

On 13 October 1901, the engagement officially took place at Schloss Hetzendorf. This was followed by a magnificent banquet the following day at Schönbrunn, where Franz Joseph toasted the bride and groom several times. Franz Joseph also raised his new future son-in-law to the personal rank of Prince. They were married on 23 January 1902, with Elisabeth wearing a white satin gown with a heart-shaped neckline. Her veil and the lace came from Elisabeth’s mother. She also wore a diamond tiara, which was decorated with orange blossoms. Just two and half hours after the ceremony, the newlyweds set off on their honeymoon. Franz Joseph and Stéphanie gave her an affectionate goodbye at the train station. Then, after a week with her new in-laws, they set off for Italy and Egypt.

Their first year of marriage went by quite harmoniously, and at the end of 1902, Elisabeth was able to inform her husband that she was pregnant with their first child. Tragically, Elisabeth lost the child after she required an operation. During these sad days, Otto asked Elisabeth to make her will and to make him her heir, as he would otherwise be left with nothing. He continued to press his case after the operation, and it wasn’t until Elisabeth was pregnant again and about the give birth that she finally gave in. On 22 March 1904, Elisabeth gave birth to a son, who was duly named Franz Joseph. A second son named Ernst Weriand followed on 21 April 1905. Elisabeth now asked her grandfather for a larger residence, and she was given Ploschkowitz in Bohemia. However, Elisabeth did not find the sleepy town and uncomfortable castle to her liking and was often away.

Elisabeth Marie with her daughter (public domain)

On 4 February 1907, Elisabeth gave birth to a third son – named Rudolf. Her last child, a daughter, named Stephanie, was born on 9 July 1909. During these years, Elisabeth was often ill and in need of medical attention. She often travelled with her children as they too were often ill. The two eldest boys were “burdened with hereditary tuberculosis”, and all three boys were “anaemic.”1

Part three coming soon.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Sisi & her mother (Part three)

Read part two here.

On 24 April 1854, Elisabeth married Franz Joseph, and the family was catapulted to fame. Elisabeth wore a gown of white and silver, strewn with myrtle blossom and an opal and diamond crown. She was led up the aisle by her mother and her soon-to-be mother-in-law. At the end of the gala banquet, the bride and groom were led to Elisabeth’s rooms. Archduchess Sophie wrote, “Ludovika and I led the young bride to her rooms. I left her with her mother and stayed in the small room next to the bedroom until she was in bed. Then I fetched my son and led him to his young wife, whom I saw once more, to wish her a good night. She hid her pretty face, surrounded by the masses of her beautiful hair, in her pillow, as a frightened bird hides in its nest.”1 Due to a lack of privacy, we know that the actual consummation did not take place until the third night.

Elisabeth became pregnant quickly, and her first child – a daughter named Sophie – was born on 5 March 1855. It was Ludovika’s first grandchild. A second grandchild – a daughter named Gisela – was born in 1856. Ludovika also acted as godmother for her second granddaughter. The relationship between Elisabeth and her mother-in-law Sophie was complicated, and Ludovika was often called in as a mediator. She did not dare to visit as she feared fanning Elisabeth’s homesickness. Instead, she continuously wrote letters with “caring advice and recommendations for precautions from a mother’s heart to her little daughter, who is already expecting.”2 On 29 May 1857, Ludovika’s first granddaughter died in childhood, and Ludovika received the news via a telegram. Ludovika gathered up Helene, Marie Sophie and Mathilde Ludovika and travelled to Vienna to support Elisabeth during this difficult time. She returned to support Elisabeth after the difficult birth of Crown Prince Rudolf.

As Elisabeth’s physical and mental health deteriorated at the Viennese court, Ludovika was almost apologetic to her sister Sophie. She wrote, “If only it were recognised that you do everything, how well disposed you are to others! God grant that things will be different again!”3 Elisabeth was sent to Madeira to recuperate, and Ludovika wrote, “Sisi’s trip worries me a great deal, and it was such a great shock, for when she was here, one would not have foreseen such a necessity, although she always coughed a little, especially when she first arrived. Sadly, she does not take enough care of herself and trusts too much in her strong constitution.”4 Elisabeth recovered, but it was only the start of a life of travel – anything to get away from Vienna.

In September 1878, Ludovika and Maximilian celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a grand party at Schloss Tegernsee, where they had been married. She later wrote that he had been “good to her” on their anniversary. Ten years, the family gathered again to celebrate Ludovika’s 80th birthday in style. By then, Ludovika had become quite lonely and melancholic. The death of Helene in 1890 hit her hard, as did her grandson Rudolf’s suicide in 1889 and her husband’s death in 1888. Her own health started to deteriorate quickly, and Ludovika focussed on her one remaining wish – to find her granddaughter Amelie (the daughter of Karl-Theodor and Princess Sophie of Saxony) a good husband. She found him – Wilhelm, Duke of Urach – but she did not live long enough to see her get married. In January 1892, Ludovika began to suffer from flu-like symptoms. From the end of January, she was unable to get out of bed. Soon, her family began to gather around her. Amelie was by her side and told her it was best to sleep – to which Ludovika groggily agreed. Elisabeth, who was with her heavily pregnant daughter Marie Valerie, could not come and also received the news of her mother’s decline too late.

In the early morning of 26 January 1892 – just before 4 A.M. – with only Sophie Charlotte and two doctors by her side, Ludovika passed away in her sleep. Luckily, she would not have to witness the fates that would befall Elisabeth and Sophie Charlotte.5

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The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part one)

The baby was lovely. From the bottom of my soul, I thanked God for the treasure he had bestowed upon me, and took the little one into my arms.1

On 2 September 1883, Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria was born as the daughter of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and Princess Stéphanie of Belgium. She was the fourth grandchild of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), though the first, and as it would turn out only, grandchild through their son. The disappointment in her gender was great, and Stéphanie would later write, “The Crown Prince’s consternation was painful – he had certainly expected an heir to the throne.”2 The young Archduchess’s christening took place on 5 September – a gloomy and rainy day. Elisabeth did not enjoy being a grandmother and showed the young girl, known by the nickname Erzsi, very little love and care. By contrast, she was a great favourite of Franz Joseph, who allowed her to tousle his bread and play with his medals.

Their duties soon took them away from their young daughter. Stéphanie and Rudolf visited Constantinople and Bulgaria, followed by visits to Carinthia, Carniola, Tyrol, Albania, Greece and Montenegro. They returned to Belgium to celebrate Stéphanie’s father’s 50th birthday in 1885. The following year, both Rudolf and Stéphanie became ill. Stéphanie was in bed for weeks, and doctors diagnosed her with peritonitis. Both recovered, and wishes were renewed for Stéphanie to give birth to an heir. Stéphanie was allowed to take it easier that year in hopes of conceiving. However, the Crown Prince was often not with her, and his restlessness took him elsewhere. When she saw him again, she found him looking very unhealthy.

Stéphanie began to believe he had moved away from her completely. By then, Rudolf had probably been infected with a venereal disease, and he, in turn, had infected Stéphanie. It was most likely gonorrhoea, and two gynaecologists came to examine her. She then learned that “the Crown Prince was responsible for my complaint.”3 Gonorrhoea had caused pelvic inflammation and had destroyed her fallopian tubes. She would never again conceive a child.

When Elisabeth learned of the difficulties in Rudolf and Stéphanie’s marriage, her first instinct was to do nothing. She told her lady-in-waiting, “Sometimes I have wondered what I could do. But I am reluctant to interfere, for I myself suffered so unspeakably under my mother-in-law that I do not wish to incur the reproach of a similar fault.”4 It is also unlikely that Elisabeth knew of the extent of Rudolf’s illness.

In October 1888, Stéphanie returned from a trip to Greece. She wrote in her memoirs, “But I was horrified as soon as I set eyes on the Crown Prince. His decay was so greatly advanced as to have become conspicuous. He was frightfully changed; his skin was flaccid; his eyes were restless; his expression had completely changed. It seemed as if his lineaments had lost the inner substantially, which can only come from strength of will, as if a process of internal dissolution were going on. I was profoundly sorry for him and wondered how the devastation would end.”5 Stéphanie wanted to confront her father-in-law about Rudolf, hoping to save him from disaster. However, the Emperor saw nothing wrong with his son and dismissed her concerns. On 26 January 1889, Stéphanie and Rudolf attended a big soirée, followed by a reception on the 27th. From the 28th, there was to be a shoot at Mayerling. Rudolf promised her he would be back the next day for a family dinner. After that, they would never see each other again. Rudolf excused himself from the family dinner the following day. Stéphanie told the family that he had come down with a cold.

Stéphanie awoke on 30 January 1889 to a gloomy winter day. She had a singing lesson as was usual, but she felt anxious. The lesson was interrupted by her chief lady-in-waiting, who privately gave her the bad news from Mayerling. Stéphanie immediately realised what had happened and sobbed, “He is dead!”6 Not much later, she was summoned by the Emperor and Empress. They questioned her, but Stéphanie had no answers for them. It was the Empress who told her the whole story. Rudolf had been found in the early hours of the morning shot in the head, with the body of Mary Vetsera by his side. Stéphanie later wrote, “The Emperor sat at the centre of the room, the Empress, dressed in dark clothes, her face white and rigid, was with him. In my bewildered, shaken state, I believed that I was being looked at like an unfaithful wife. A crossfire of questions, some of which I could not answer, descended on me.”7

They also handed her the Crown Prince’s farewell letter, which read, “Dear Stéphanie, You are freed henceforward from the torment of my presence. Be happy, in your own way. Be good to the poor little girl who is the only thing I leave behind. Give my last greetings to all my acquaintances, especially to Bombelles, Spindler, Latour, Nowo, Gisela, Leopold, etc. etc. I face death calmly; death alone can save my good name. With warmest love, your affectionate Rudolf.”8

Little Elisabeth was just five years when her father committed suicide. Her mother wrote in her memoirs, “My little Elisabeth, then four years old (sic), spent these distressful days in her nursery. Once only did she leave it, when I took her to the bier of her unhappy father, made the sign of the cross on her forehead, and then brought her back to her own peaceful playroom. […] Little Elizabeth was a great consolation to me; her smiles and prattle could, for a time, dispel my sorrows. My mother, likewise, was most tender to the dear little girl, whose innocent charm made her seem like a bright flower amid this dark period of mourning.”9

After the formalities of her father’s burial, Elisabeth was taken to Miramare by her mother. They were joined there by Stéphanie’s mother and two sisters. They would spend four months there as Stéphanie pondered how it had come this far. When they returned to Vienna, Stéphanie was assigned Schloss Laxenburg as a dower house. Elisabeth’s financial future was guaranteed by her father’s inheritance and a gift of two million florins from her grandfather, the Emperor. In his will, Rudolf had asked that the Emperor have guardianship over Elisabeth instead of her mother.

Part two coming soon.

The post The Year of Empress Elisabeth – Elisabeth Marie of Austria: The innocent victim of Mayerling (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.